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The Suns’ Newest Face is Thriving

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Cody Martin is making a well-rounded impact on the Suns.

The Phoenix Suns have had a lot of issues this season. Notably, the Suns’ main problems have been on the defensive side of the ball. Phoenix currently has a bottom-five defensive rating in the NBA at 116.4. However, the defense has improved over the last stretch of games Phoenix ranks 11th in defensive rating over the past five games.

The reasoning? Well, the team made some rotational changes, and those have helped this team back on its quest for the playoffs. The addition of rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, back into the lineup, has helped. But another key factor has been Cody Martin, he is the Suns’ newest face in the lineup. In his limited minutes, he has shown Suns fans precisely what they want to see, with many wanting to keep him for the future. Let’s dive into Martin’s recent impact.

The Suns’ Newest Face is Thriving

What Martin Brings to the Suns

As we alluded to, he brings more of a defensive identity. Martin had been sidelined since arriving in Phoenix with a sports hernia. He was cleared to play the other night vs Sacramento but did not suit up. In the next contest vs the Lakers, he got his first taste of playing time for the Suns. Since then, he has suited up in two other contests where he has brought a more expansive role. The outcome, you may ask? The Suns are 2-0 and are currently the 10th and final seed in the play-in. This was also the first time since January 27th the Suns had won consecutive back-to-back games.

 A Breakdown of Martin’s Time in Phoenix

Notably, he is a twin, brother of Caleb Martin who plays for the Dallas Mavericks. Caleb is most notably known for his success on the Heat, but he was in Charlotte alongside Cody too. Until the deadline, Cody had spent his entire six-year career in Charlotte. When analyzing Martin’s game, there is a lot to look at.

Since he arrived, he has only played for a limited time but has stood out in those minutes. Working alongside players Royce O’Neale, Oso Ighodaro, and Ryan Dunn, he has been able to integrate perfectly into this bench unit.

In his recent contest vs the Bulls, he showed how impactful he could be for this team in the long term. He had seven points, three steals and one block. That block came immediately when he checked in to give him some life in the game. Martin also showed hustle and grit when competing on the court, which the Suns had not demonstrated before his injection. The Suns have a new energy brand from Martin, who said he could provide himself to be a Swiss army knife player, doing whatever is needed. I argue that he has lived up to that in just a short stint.

 

What the Suns Should do with Martin?

Martin has impacted winning, so the plan should be to keep him, correct? I would think so, but as we all know, the Suns want to fall below the second apron. Martin has a guaranteed contract, which allows the Suns to waive him without any repercussions. If they waived him and the other newcomer, Vasilije Micic, they would get to their goal.

That being said, if Martin is what the Suns need—a defensive wing—and is cheap, they should keep him. That is why I suggest they waive him, but before they do, they work a deal out. This would allow him to clear waivers, and they would come back to Phoenix on a team-friendly deal. The Suns’ newest face should be welcomed back with open arms if the goal is to compete, as Mat Ishbia has been stating.

 

Photo credit: © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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